Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric John's Visit to Ho Chi Minh City Receives Great Media Attention

DAS Eric John meets with Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nguyễn Minh Triết (R) full-size photo

On the second leg of his trip to Vietnam, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Eric G. John visited Ho Chi Minh City on September 28th to discuss issues of mutual concerns. While in Ho Chi Minh City, he had a press briefing with five major newspapers including the Saigon Times, Nguoi Lao Dong, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, and Saigon Giai Phong to discuss the positively growing relationship between the US and Vietnamese and Vietnam’s imminent accession to the WTO.

PAS Ho Chi Minh City arranged the briefing for him and provided the transcript to the attending reporters three hours later. Saigon Giai Phong, the mouthpiece of Ho Chi Minh City's Party Secretary, printed the transcript, which reconfirmed that the US supports Vietnam’s accession to the WTO. Additionally, other newspapers and other television and radio stations covered the main points of the briefing as well as reported his meetings with local government officials.